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Monday, December 03, 2007

Monday miscellaneous

So, here I am. No big trees crashed through the roof during the night, but it is still raining. Ray, ever alert to potential problems, keeps checking the basement for water. None so far. It has happened in the past, but Ray has taken steps to avoid it and they seem to be working. This amount of rain is the real test.

After I posted my update on the house a couple people suggested that we replace the front window with French doors. What they didn't know is that this is what the wall opposite that window looks like:

These windows and door will also be replaced. The slider will be replaced with a prettier wood slider. Those side windows are now 18" from the floor, which is what the window in front will become, so we won't lose much at all. I love French doors, but this room is too small to accomodate the door swing without losing usable space or severely interrupting the flow. The wood sliders are really pretty, though. You can also see, from this picture, that although the view out the front window looks like we are really out in the woods, there is a subdivision right behind us. You can't have everything.

We got a Christmas tree on Saturday. Our realtor, Nancy Jane, had a "client appreciation" party at a local tree farm and bought each of her clients a Christmas tree. It was a cold, wet day, but there was a shelter with a roaring fire and hot dogs and hot cider and cookies. Beautiful place, where you hike out and select and cut your tree. We picked out a fairly small tree.

I have seen lots of entries on blogs about the environmental impact of cutting live trees for Christmas and many people are going to artificial trees. I have given this some thought and appreciate the arguments against live trees, but it seems like living in Oregon where more Christmas trees are grown than in any other state, buying a live tree which was grown for that specific purpose doesn't pose a problem. It is also an important part of the economy here and I'd hate to see the Christmas tree farmers going out of business. The Christmas tree farms around Portland are such beautiful places. It is one of our pleasant yearly outings to drive out to one of them and choose our tree. And a freshly cut fir is one of the best smells there is!

6 comments:

I'm completely with you on the live tree thing. Yes, there is an impact, but the trees we get (at local tree farms) are grown specifically for that purpose. They are replanted year after year (otherwise no farm for the next year!) and so I can't see the harm in it.

I live in Vermont and the "green" issue is here too. It is really hard for me to believe that an artificial tree made in Asia and shipped here with all its packaging can be more green than a tree I hand cut in the next town 10 miles away. Even for the 15 years that an artificial one is supposed to last, I've still spent less carbon energy in the long run. And the benefit to the local economy is a big plus. The one we actually bought was sold to benefit the local fire department and was cut nearby. It's in the garage waiting to be brought in and set up. I'm sure glad we got it Saturday before all this snow we're getting today.

I live up in WA near Bremerton where they got 8.5 inches of rain since midnight TODAY! And Hiway 16, going to Bremerton, is closed in Gorst, which is a bend in the road, by sea water/rain mix. I can see the headlines "Monday Night Commute Cancelled Due To Lack Of Road"

Last year we bought a small tree in a pot for our Christmas decoration. It was moved out to the back porch in January and we sit by it every day while we drink a cup of coffee (tea). It's been watered regularly and now it is about to make it's trip inside the house for this Christmas. It grew about six inches during the year. I'm happy with this choice. There are no tree farms around here.

I'd love to get a real tree and agree with your reasoning - but I'm allergic to the needles. Rashes all over my arms and hands as I decorate the tree or get too close to it. So, it's a fake tree from Ikea for us! I miss the evergreen smell, but not the watering or needles on the floor...